Do you use the power of gamification in your product?

Marvin Mändle
18 replies
I lost my 102 day streak at the weekend and it triggered me. A good example are the flames on Snapchat too. Many products include gamification elements to attract the attention of the users. What are your thoughts about gamification?

Replies

Jade Grimwood
Oh I love gamification and find it super motivating. And a great conversation starter! Our team also has a particularly strong competitive streak - so we do find ourselves competing for PH badges and streaks!
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Marvin Mändle
@jade_grimwood Good to hear, I also like competition. I think almost everybody likes it. Sounds like fun in your team!
NJ Robb
Launching soon!
Sad times. In some contexts it's great in others it doesn't make sense. Even on here one of the badges incentivise weird behaviour - the Tastemaker badge. "Congrats on the launch" or "Great Product" add zero value to anyone.
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Jagriti Kumar
@njrobb I think that even if it doesn't add any direct value, it's main motive is encouragement in some places. Which works well for new users, it worked for me here on PH. I recently started engaging and at first I was not very excited by the amount of questions in discussion (especially the ones that are not specifically about product). However, it became fun when I saw streaks, kitty points, genuine ideas, and especially followers. I didn't expect to become part of the community so quickly. Now I hop on here every morning and during breaks.
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Marvin Mändle
@njrobb True. I also think the streak doesn't add value. But when you see it from the objective side, it brings people to the platform and even if they don't engage much, they engage.
Marvin Mändle
@njrobb @jagriti_kumar agree with you. When you overcome your first impressions and go a bit deeper, you gan definitely get some value for you out of this platform. The products and some discussions are pretty helpful. In the end it's always about, how you use it! Like Youtube: You can watch useless cat videos or learn a lot from TED talks!
Marie-Philippe Leblanc
I looooove gamification. Thinking about implementing it somehow in our team as an extra motivation!
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Marvin Mändle
@mplebl that sounds great. Tell me about your ideas. We would love a fun competition in our team too. And thanks for the kind words on the streak. It is what it is and luckywise the best indicator here on product hunt are the kitty points. But sad anyway!
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Nermin Zejnilovic
I love gamification a lot. I found a really cool case study on cognitive biases used in gamification. https://growth.design/case-studi...
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Vaibhav
I do so, yes. In my product, you can see a bunch of metrics that can evoke various emotions in the user about their progress.
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QING LI
Gamification is a powerful tool for increasing user engagement and retention. By incorporating elements like streaks, rewards, and challenges, products can create a more interactive and enjoyable user experience. Personally, I find that gamification can significantly enhance motivation and commitment, as seen with your example of Snapchat's streaks. However, it's essential to strike a balance to ensure that these elements add value and don't become overwhelming or frustrating for users. What are some of the most effective gamification strategies you've come across?
QING LI
Gamification is indeed a powerful tool for boosting user engagement and retention. Incorporating elements like streaks, rewards, and challenges can make the user experience more interactive and enjoyable. For example, the streaks on Snapchat and other similar features motivate users to return frequently, fostering consistent interaction with the app. In my experience, gamification works best when it adds real value to the user experience and aligns with the product's goals. It can transform mundane tasks into exciting challenges and help users stay motivated. However, it’s crucial to strike a balance to ensure these elements enhance rather than overwhelm the user experience.
Gurkaran Singh
Gamification? More like "game-affectation" when a streak loss feels like a plot twist in a high-stakes drama! How do you cope with those fiery Snapchat flames of commitment?
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Marvin Mändle
@thestarkster good point. Actually I stopped using Snapchat, but it definitely triggered me in the past, when I lost a big number of flames with a good friend